ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 67 
MUD MINNOW OR ROCKFISH 
Photograph by Dr. E. Bade. 
The killifish is one of the hardiest in captivity, 
specimens being on record as having lived for 
thirteen years in a balanced aquarium. 
The killifish here pictured (Fundulus chryso- 
tus) is common in swamps from South Carolina 
to Florida, prettier than our northern species, 
and adapts itself well to home aquaria. The 
male’s rich green body is flecked with dots of 
dull red and brown, while the female dis- 
plays a bluish green sheen with silver spots. 
They have been bred in captivity, the adhesive 
eggs hatching in a couple of weeks. 
Still more beautiful is the Star-headed Min- 
now (Fundulus noti), found commonly in 
swamps and streams of Florida and nearby 
states and only an inch and a half in length. Its 
orange-yellow breast and jaws, its glistening 
silver sides with six longitudinal black stripes 
running from head to tail, and the star of silver 
green shining at the back of its head, are indeed 
striking. 
RockFIsH 
The Eastern Mud Minnow or Rockfish (Um- 
bra pygmaea) can usually be purchased in bird 
and animal stores, and is hardy and entertaining. 
A pleasing little fish in its warm browns, with 
sad eyes that seem to peer out pensively and 
questioningly at what is happening in the room, 
though actually seeing nothing. It is tenacious 
of life and will live a considerable time out of 
water. 
Mup Minnow or 
Tt attains its maximum length of four inches 
in captivity, and is amiable until it grows to 
maturity, when it will select one corner of the 
tank for its very own and chase away all who 
presume to swim into that territory. This 
tyranny is not directly harmful to other fishes 
excepting that it may prevent smaller specimens 
from getting a proper food supply, and when 
the mud minnow grows large at the Aquarium we 
place it, for the good of all concerned, in a tank 
with no fishes of other species except common 
sunfishes and chub suckers of approximately its 
own size. The common sunfish being a worse 
scrapper than the mud minnow, will play 
Petrucio if necessary, and henceforth Kate is 
tamed. 
The chief charm of the mud minnow is its un- 
commonly graceful body, which it is able to bend 
in the form of a rainbow, remaining in this 
languorous attitude for half an hour at a time, 
either suspended in the water, gracefully resting 
among the plants, or, characteristically, with 
its small, prognathous snout pressed against 
the glass. 
It moves quickly when snatching at its food 
and driving off other fishes. 
In the ponds, the mud minnow, true to its 
name, lives among the plants or in the mud at 
the bottom. It is almost wholly carnivorous, 
but will accept prepared fish foods when nothing 
else is available. The sexes are similar, both 
having a black vertical line or two black dots 
at the base of the tail. 
